


Forgotten Ones

by SugaryMystery



Series: On the Kingdom [3]
Category: Terato - Fandom, exophilia - Fandom, teratophilia - Fandom
Genre: Abandonment, F/M, Fantasy World, Medieval World, Past War, Ruins, parents lost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 19:26:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18169085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugaryMystery/pseuds/SugaryMystery
Summary: *A girl is kicked out of her house and giving as a sacrifice to a mysterious monster who lives in The Ruins; turning out to be a gentle Manticore who has been hiding in there since the war ended* (Het)





	Forgotten Ones

‘’Well… I’m ruined’’. Olivia said with a gloomy expression on her face, the huge case looked rather small considering everything she possesses could be put in it, her belongings, her work, her life. She had been walking in a straight line for more than four hours, she was tired, hungry and angry. Especially after having come through the most stressful day of her life, if not the last one.

Olivia used to live happily in her old village, she was usually traveling to sell and buy materials to make her jewelry; pearls, crystals or gems, even other kinds of materials not so known could be turned into real masterpieces such as pressed flowers and leaves, shells and even fabrics. She was a cheerful girl with a stress-free life and a stable job that allow her to meet new places and new people. But, like a plot twist in a novel, everything went to shit.

The village where she used to live, was one of the most ancient and definitely most damage due to the Great War, the elder ones were already discussing what to do with the lack of sources and the abundance of infertile soil. They started leaving offerings in The Ruins to appease the spirits of the death, believe it was due to their closeness to this place that the land was dying. One day, the man in charge of delivering the offerings came back screaming, saying he saw a monstrous creature guarding the ruins. The eldest thought it was a divine sign, they were worshipping the wrong entity, so their smartest option was to offer him a human as their last sacrifice.

She has lived alone since she was twelve, she got lost in the forest while her family travels to the west, and even though she waited until the sky went dark they never came back for her. She was small but she easily understood; they forgot about her and considered it was best to leave her behind. She kept walking in the opposite direction of the road until she found the village and the elders feel pity for her, allowing her to stay as long as she makes herself useful so she started with simple works, cleaning, and gardening for other families. They use to treat her like a slave because she was an orphan and often mistreated her until she met an old lady who lived alone and was the last of her family. 

Old granny Nala told her the story of how she witnessed the massacre of her father and brother in the war and how her mother told her to run into the forest while she distracted the soldiers. The two of them became naturally close like family and develop a mother-daughter bond. It was her who teach Olivia how to make jewelry. Unfortunately, Nala died a year ago due to a terminal illness and her death leave a hole in her heart.

The elders knew she was traveling a lot, and since she wasn’t actually a real member of the village it was best for them to use her as much as they could. They didn’t tell her it was because she was going to be sacrificed to a monster but because she couldn’t stay in the village after Nala died. With tears on her eyes and her bag in one hand she walked and walked into the Temure forest until the sun sets, cursing those old bags of bones and their selfish decisions, eventually she found the place who took all the blame for the calamities; The Ruins.

The Temure forest was known to be the favorite place for the death and the calamity, although is mostly a rumor due to be a place where the final battle of the war ended, so it’s said the vengeful and unrested still roam in this place. The Ruins is a dessert place full of broken armaments and improvised graves for the fallen soldiers, and even after all the destruction this place has seen it was full of green grass and wildflowers, maybe a way to show it’s respect for those who rest here? The air smells sweet, and the night breeze was freezing so she collected a few branches of the old trees and try her best to light a bonfire. After an hour she manages to light a little flame, it wasn’t big but it was enough to keep her warm until the sunrise, she started to feel tired and lay on a pile of leaves, using her case as a pillow, hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

But the sound of a loud roar in the distance woods woke her up, she sat back but keep hearing it, this time closer. Her first reaction was to hide behind a giant rock, constantly peeking out to see if anything comes out of the shadows. She could hear steps which slowly shorten the distance where she hides, each step made the ground tremble, breaking branches or stepping on dry leaves. There was also another sound, not much like a growl but more like a… purr?

‘’I know you’re here…’’ the deep voice of a man could be heard, not entirely human but neither a monstrous growl. ‘’How else will a bonfire appear out of nowhere?’’. Shit! She forgot about it. ‘’I won’t hurt you, but you shouldn’t be here. Nothing but the dead ones live here. Go back home, now’’

‘’I can’t…’’ she couldn’t help but respond, her voice more like a sob. ‘’I don’t have nowhere else to go. They kick me out of my home and… I don’t even know why I’m here’’ she starts sobbing. Even though she always tried to find the positive side to the things this was too unfair and overwhelming to her. She has done nothing to deserve being treated like this, and time after time the fortune keeps forgetting about her.

‘’Hey… could it be, you are the sacrifice they mention?’’ the monster asked.

‘’W-What? What are you talking about? I just came here because they kick me out… this the only path to get out of the village’’.

‘’The guy who comes here every month to deliver the basket of gifts say so. Something like; ‘Please give us back our land prosperity in exchange for this human sacrifice’.

She kept quiet, thinking and connecting the events. Of course… That’s why they literally push her away from her home that evening, they needed to send the offering by night. Of course, they will choose her, they wouldn’t dare to sacrifice a young and memorable member of their society. No, they have her, the spare lady, the unwanted child, the orphan.

Olivia starts crying as if her soul was tearing apart, her cries were stronger than the creatures roar. ‘’Hey… d-don’t cry…’’

‘’Are you going to eat me?’’ she said between sobs.

‘’What? No! I mean, I may look like a monster but I don’t eat people!’’. He sounded offended. ‘’I eat meat, that’s why I hunt but I don’t kill people. It’s true I’ve been eating the offerings but I’m not responsible for what’s happening to the land’’

She listens carefully. He sounded honest and well speak, how can a monster be like that? She got up decided to see him but before she could take a look he hides between the top branches of a tree.

‘’Wait!’’ he screamed from his hiding spot. ‘’I’m a monster, If you look at me you’ll probably run away like the other guy did!’’.

‘’But you sound so nice… You said you wouldn’t eat me right? I’m pretty sure you don’t intend to hurt me either’’

‘’Of course not. I don’t do those things… but… There are not many others like me anymore, and even though there are other creatures as well, everyone seemed to fear me’’. His voice had a glimpse of deep sadness when he said that. ‘’I’ve been alone most my life… I’m jealous of the people who can roam around freely and enjoy others company… I’m lonely’’

‘’I’m lonely too’’. Olivia said loudly, something inside of her was telling her to help him. ‘’My family left me behind when I was a child and now the elders told me to leave, and the only other person who ever cares about me is dead now. What I’m trying to say is; I know our situations are different but… I know how desperate loneliness can be’’

There was no response, just the sound of the breeze. ‘’… you… understand?’’

She smiles in relief, her words have reached him. ‘’If you come out I promise I won’t run away, I want to see you’’

‘’I… I have to warn you, I’m like a mix of different things so…’’

‘’It’s okay. I mean, I could be shocked but I believe you’re not bad, so there’s nothing to fear’’

The tree starts shaking, more and more leaves fall into the ground until in the trunk of the tree she could see two huge reddish-golden paws, slowly moving down. He was indeed huge but also fluffy, his body was the one of a lion with a soft looking red mane, he had a set of bat wings who were in a gradient of black to a velvet red with little claws in the ends. But what call most her attention was the fact that his face was mostly human, he had traces of a cat or a lion, ruby red eyes who glistening with the light of the bonfire, fangs of an oddly yellow and two horns who resemble the ones of a lamb, but much huge.

He walks back a little and tried to hide behind his massive wings. ‘’I know I look hideous but-‘’

‘’You’re wonderful!’’. The words escape from Olivia’s mouth, she has never seen such beauty before. ‘’You are the most marvelous creature I have ever seen, how can people call you monstrous?’’

He couldn’t believe what his ears were hearing, they even twitched a little which was adorable. This young lady was looking at him with such wonder, directly into his eyes. Why isn’t she running away? Why isn’t she screaming or calling for help? No. Instead, she’s walking towards him, smiling. How can she see beauty in him?

‘’Aren’t you scared of me?’’ he almost felt afraid to ask.

‘’Not really, like I said I found you wonderful. Can I ask what your name is? Also, what’s your species?’’

‘’I’m Atigon, I’m a Manticore. I’ve heard people use to refer to us as ‘man-eaters’ or simply as demons but I never meet others like me so I can’t confirm anything, to be honest’’

‘’Wow’’. Her eyes never leave him. He started to feel nervous since no one stays long enough to study his appearance, yet he couldn’t help but feel happy deep in his heart. This girl was not only watching his body but also talking and listening to him, truly interested in what he has to say. That thought made him blush a little and he could feel a comforting warmth in his chest.

‘’Well… I also have a scorpion tail’’. He moves the tail towards her and waves it a few times, it was a shiny black and the sting look pointy and sharp. ‘’I know it’s odd to see…’’

‘’It’s gorgeous! It looks like made of black nacre’’. He tilts his head in confusion and she opened her case and pulled out a necklace with a pendant made of carved nacre and black pearls. ‘’This is nacre, it’s literally the shell of some mollusks that produce pearls’’

He got closer to her so he could see the necklace better. It indeed looks similar to his tail, both of them had a dark glossy shine. To imagine he could compare his beasty form with something so beautiful in nature took away his breath.

‘’See, they look pretty much alike, and not only that, I like your horns and your fangs. Your mane looks so fluffy and soft I want to touch it!’’. She suddenly realizes she was throwing a huge amount of compliment to a guy she just has met. ‘’Sorry… I overreacted’’

‘’No… It’s nice to be told things like that. I-I… I’ve been so lonely, even before the war started, people will call me a beast, a monster, an abomination. But… You don’t seem to be afraid or to be lying… It’s nice’’. He had a cute, shy smile on his face. If it wasn’t for the darkness of the night Olivia could swear his cheeks were even more blushed.

A soft breeze blows out the miniature bonfire she had been trying to make for the past hour. The temperature was now dropping much faster and she crossed her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm. She let out a sigh of disappointment while shivering and Atigon got close and start nuzzling his body against hers while purring, like a giant cat.

‘’Is this okay?’’ he asked shyly.

She nodded. ‘’Aren’t you cold too?’’

‘’Because of my fur, I’m never cold so I usually sleep in the wild. If you want I can keep you warm’’

‘’That’s so sweet of you, thanks!’’.

Atigon lay down in the ground and Olivia follow. He starts purring and nuzzling his so soft mane to her body in an attempt to warm her up. She wonders how it could be this soft if he was living in the wild, but was totally thankful for it. She patted his head with caution, she didn’t want to scare him which was funny considering he could eat her in one bite with his wide mouth. He jumped a little at first by surprise but lean against her hand, enjoying her touch.

When she moved her hand behind his ears his purring intensified, he was enjoying it and she was happy to please him. They went like this until they fall asleep, the night breeze was nothing compared to the warmth of Atigon’s body, and his soft purring drove her into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning she woke up alone with nothing but her case beside her. She thought everything could be just a dream but discard the thought when she found a pile of fruit next to her case. She ate it happily and walk around to explore the place, she found a few gravestones with names on them so she cut some flowers and put them on top just to honor them, the world will definitely be a much different place without those who initiate the revolution and died in the name of freedom.

She kept walking collecting everything she would find useful; she cut flowers and put them in a few heavy books she always carries around and starts collecting more branches if she needs to light another bonfire. She found a nearby clearance not so far from the Ruins, probably more villages could be found elsewhere and maybe she could go and sell a few products to earn enough money and buy a new house and start over. It was a dream more than an actual goal.

‘’But…’’. A thought came to her mind like a lighting; if she goes now then Atigon will be alone. He told her he feels lonely and last night he seemed happy with her presence. She couldn’t leave him now, she felt as if she’ll be doing the same her parents did to her all those years ago. It was best to wait.

At sunset, her stomach starts grumbling with hunger, the fruit was tasty but that wasn’t enough for her. She wished she could taste a freshly cooked meal, some baked potatoes, and steam veggies with a juicy meat aside… And like an angel falling from the sky a death deer fell into the ground, making Olivia scream in surprise and horror at the dead body of the animal until she saw Atigon came down flying with blood all over his mouth.

‘’Sorry, I drop it when I saw you were still here’’ he starts licking his paws which were equally covered in blood. ‘’We can share the meal if you want’’

She tried to calm down and smiles for him. ‘’Thanks, I was just getting hungry. Did you perhaps leave the pile of fruit for me?’’

‘’Yeah, I thought you might be hungry after you woke up, but if I knew you’ll still be here I would have brought you more’’

He opens the deer with his claws and uses his sharp teeth and fangs to reap out a few pieces for her. She felt a little nauseous by the bloody scene but took the pieces of meat and roast them with a stick in the fire, after all, he was so kind to share. He keeps eating it raw, covering himself with his wings so she would see him but from time to time he will take a peek to see her flipping the pieces of meat.

The meat wasn’t as tender as she uses to, and without salt, it was pretty tasteless but it was good to eat something else than apples and berries. They do small talk at first, she will tell him about her work and how she learned so much from Old granny Nala and all the places she has traveled in order to sell her products. He tells her in return about his life when a human took him and raise him as his own child, the human was a teacher and also a wizard from the Capital in its golden age and taught him a lot about the starts and the constellations as well as history and a few spells. Both of them felt comfortable around each other, it was nice, like being in a family once again.

A few weeks pass and Olivia had a blast living with Atigon. He was really shy at first, looking away or covering his face with his paws to hide his blush, but lately, he has been the most caring and sweet guy she has ever meet. He will often bring her crystals from the mountains and leave flowers beside her in the morning. He will always be purring and nuzzling against her and rest his massive head on her lap for her to rub behind his ears. But even though he was a charming gentleman, the life in the wild started to be difficult for her, she was missing sleeping in a comfy bed or taking a warm bath so she decides to go through the forest and find the nearest village to sell what she could.

‘’But I don’t want to be alone!’’ Atigon was pouting, hugging her by the waist. ‘’Don’t leave me Liv! If you go I’ll be all alone’’

‘’I’m not leaving you, I’ll come back when I finish selling all of my stuff’’ she said trying to break free from his embrace but he keeps pulling her closer. ‘’I need to get a home Atigon, a can’t live in the wild forever’’

‘’But… But what if you find a mate and you marry them and buy a house in there and I’ll be alone and- and…’’ he starts sobbing.

She holds his face and puts her forehead against his. ‘’I know you’re scared, I know you don’t want to be alone anymore. But please believe in me okay? I promise I’ll be back by dinner’’

With a pouty face, he nodded. He told her he’ll escort her until they reach the nearest population. While she was walking, he was flying around to see if he could find anything and when not he’ll be by her side, talking and insisting he should be carrying her or her case. The funny argument continue until they could see and hear many people from afar, they arrive at what it looks like a village but was actually a Stronghold, with all the variety of species and the number of stores one wouldn’t recognize it. Bakeries, tailor shops even a library! ‘This was more than spectacular’ Olivia thought.

Her village, as she remembers, was exclusive to humans because they were superstitious that other creatures will bring more despair, and although she has seen a lot of people in her travels she hasn’t been in a place with such variety. Atigon was also enjoying the view, seeing others sharing without questioning what they were. He told her he’ll wait there for a while to make sure she’ll be okay. She walked around for a while not really knowing where to go or who to talk until she saw a group of orcs with beautiful jewelry pieces in their hands. They were coming from a shop with a sing on the side who reads; Smithy in various languages. She walked in and was surprised to see not only armors and swords but also a crystal counter with various exquisite pieces on display.

‘’Can I help you, miss?’’. A low voice made her lift her head, a huge black and white bear stood behind the counter with an apron and thick gloves. ‘’Would you like to buy one?’’

‘’Oh! I was actually looking. Did you make this?’’

‘’Yeah. I like your necklace too, are those black pearls? They’re not common around here’’ he asked pointing to her necklace, she wears it all the time because it reminds her of Atigon.

‘’Oh! this one? I got the pearls from the Alore village in their port. I’m friends with one of the fishers daughters so I always get a discount’’. She handed the necklace to him and he took it. ‘’I do jewelry too and since I travel a lot I work with a lot of material. The piece of nacre here, I carve it myself’’ she said with obvious proud of her work.

The bear examines the necklace carefully, especially the carving in which she put special care to get it right. ‘’Excuse me for a minute’’ he said taking the necklace with him, she didn’t have time to react and for a moment she thought he stole it from her. Fortunately, he came back after a few minutes with the necklace in his hands. ‘’Say, you’re not from around here I can say for the big case you have there’’ he said pointing to her case.

‘’Yeah, I’m… I’m looking for a place where I can sell what I have and maybe earn enough money to buy a house near where I’m living’’

‘’I see, do you mind if you show me what you have?’’.

Olivia open her case and pull out a few pieces, he was actually very interested in the pressed flower pendants and the river pearl bracelets, he keep asking ‘how she made them’ but even though she tried to explain it to him it was actually a grabbing the materials and see what can you do with it, kind of process.

‘’I like what you have here, I think we could work together if you want’’

‘’Wait, really?’’

‘’You know, I started to sell jewelry because of the orc courting rituals but I’ve been thinking about opening another shop as well and keep my work as a blacksmith aside from jewelry making, but I don’t have enough time to run two shops at the same time’’

He grabbed a few pieces and put them alongside from the others in the counter. ‘’It will take a few days until I open it, but I’m sure you’re a competent person to work with. I’m Ivann by the way’’ he extended his hand and she shakes it.

‘’Nice to meet you Ivann, I’m Olivia. Thanks for the opportunity but… Aren’t you a little too trustful? You just met me’’

‘’Well, from where I came from, one can easily tell if the person has good or bad intention just by looking at them into their eyes. And I can not only see you’re honest but also that you have gone through a lot. Besides, I have a lot of friends here, so it wouldn’t be smart of anyone to try to rob me’’ Olivia swallow nervously, he was making a point as well as giving a warning to her. ‘’I estimate four days until I move all the things to the shop, could you come back until that day? I’ll buy you these pieces for now so I can show them to the usual clients’’

‘’Oh! I mean, of course! It’s not that far from where I’m staying. I would love to work with you!’’ she said happily.

Ivann presented her to Uzorg who was working in the back, he was not a bear but a rather old orc. She first thought he might be a grumpy old man but turns out he was actually very kind and cheerful. He gave her a firm handshake while saying he’ll be glad to have her around and even offers her to show her around if she needed. The Stronghold was warm and the people so welcoming, she knew she’ll love being in there.

When she came back were Atigon was hiding, she was surprised to see he wasn’t there. He called for him a few times, in a low voice so other won’t notice him. But when he didn’t answer her she started to scream his name loudly while running around trying to find him.

Worried for him she rushes towards the Ruins as fast as she could. What if he someone saw him? What if they scare him away? What if they tried to hurt him? No, that couldn’t be, right? Not now. Not him, please.

When she arrived she fined the place empty, with nothing but the burn sticks from the bonfire and a pile of animal bones on the side. Atigon wasn’t here.

She fell on her knees, trembling and scared, she couldn’t lose someone again, she didn’t want to be alone forever, he wanted to be with him, she worries and cares for him deeply. Olivia burst into tears, her pitiful cries echoed like screams of someone in pure pain. She cried and cried Atigon’s name over and over.

She only stopped when she heard the beating of wings on top of her. He came down and rush towards her, a terrified expression on his face.

‘’What happened?! Are you okay?! Did someone hurt you?!’’.

She didn’t respond. She just looked at him as if he wouldn’t be real but only an illusion. She got up and reached her hand to touch his cheek. Warmth. It was the same warmth that covers her in the night and makes her feel so safe and loved.

‘’Atigon…’’ she said with tears flowing down her cheeks and smile of relief. ‘’I couldn’t find you so I thought you were gone! I thought something might happen to you and… I thought you forgot about me’’

He pulls her close into a tight embrace, closing his wings around her. ‘’I’m sorry. I thought you’ll be tired after the long walk so I was searching for a place close to the Stronghold so you didn’t need to walk that much and… I’m sorry…’’. He made her look directly into his ruby eyes. ‘’I’ll never leave alone, I promise for my life I would never leave you okay?’’

Gods how long has she waited to hear those words. Even Nala told her from a young age to move on since she will be leaving first, she didn’t mean it in a bad way, she just wanted to avoid getting more hurt than she needed to be. But this man, this man was giving her what she desperately needed; Hope. Hope for a better life, hope for a chance to care for other and hope for believing someone could love her.

She placed her hands into his collar, rubbing it gently. When she looked up, looking directly into those red jewels, she felt her heart melt and her mind going blank. She pulls him closer and kisses him softly on his lips. This surprised him making him back up a little, but she kept pushing forward so eventually, he opened his mouth little by little and slide his tongue in her tiny mouth. She wanted to explore his too, and of course, his mouth had many sharp teeth and his tongue was a little rough but not unpleasant at all, she had to be careful not to touch his fangs since they were much sharper.

He started to push forward, enjoying the sensation of her tongue licking his lips softly until he ends up pushing her into the ground with his body on top and his mouth still on hers. Having his weight on top didn’t bother her but instead made her feel safe, feeling the heat of his body was the best sensation in the world.

He eventually pulls away, panting heavily. ‘’I didn’t mean to… I’m so sorry I just wanted to, I just… I’ve loved you since the first time we meet. The way you looked at me with shiny eyes melted my heart Liv! I love you so much!’’

‘’I love you too Atigon. I can’t imagine a life without you at this point and I cannot longer hide my feelings. I think no matter what happened before in my life, maybe it was important so destiny could bring us together. I want to be with you, I want to go to sleep and wake up beside you’’

He starts sobbing and tried to hide his embarrassed face behind his wings but she stopped him, placing a tender kiss on his lips.

‘’I guess that’s settled! I’m yours and you’re mine’’ she said with a smile. He starts planting kisses along her face and neck which made her giggle.

‘’Oh yeah! I have a surprise for you!’’. He parts away and sat down. ‘’Get on, I’ll take you flying’’

She got on top of his, putting her arms around his neck and grabbing the fur of his mane so she won’t fall in the middle of the ride. He took her to an old hut who seemed to be abandoned, it was rather small and covered by leaves and grass but nothing that a few weeks of work wouldn’t repair. The structure was actually big, made out of rocks with only the doors an windows made out of wood. It also has a small well which they had to check if still had water on it and a stone fireplace in one side.

‘’I actually found this a while ago but I wanted to make sure it belongs to nobody, so I had to wait if somebody came back but everyone just passes by’’

‘’So, this means…’’

He kisses the top of her head. ‘’I never needed a hut to live but… I want you to be comfortable and its closer to the Stronghold so I thought it might be a good idea…This can be our home now’’

‘’It is the most wonderful thing you could have given to me!’’ she interrupts him. ‘’I’ll start working in it tomorrow and when I earn enough money we can expand it even more so it’ll be big enough for the two of us!’’

He hugs her by the waist and nuzzles his head against her cheek. ‘’I want this to be our home but, I’m a little worried, what would the world think of us?’’

‘’Let them be they forget about us so we can forget about them too. For now on we’ll be nothing but happy as long as we’re together’’

‘’I know we just agree on being together but… I wouldn’t mind having a house big enough for our children’’

She froze in surprise. ‘’You want children?’’ 

He swallows out of nervousness. ‘’Well… the house is big and I love you Live. I’ve always wanted to have a family but I understand if you’re not ready for it’’

He shook her head. ‘’I never thought I would have someone loving me again, but it happened and I’m happy. I never thought I would like to have a family of my own but… If I’m with you I know it’ll bring me nothing but happiness’’

He hugs her and spins her around standing in two feet. He was so happy and excited, and so she was. Life may have been cruel with the two of them but destiny foretold that they’ll found each other and fall in love. The world is brighter as long as there’s hope in their hearts. ‘’By the way’’ she asked him. ‘’About how many are we talking about?’’

‘‘Well… I’ve always wanted a litter’‘


End file.
